Hamm took more than a dozen bottles of water elemental essence and easily took out all the sand thieves who had gathered in the Scorched Wood camp. Once again, the clear sky showed strength, making them rejoice in their choice, otherwise they might have drowned in the desert.

After resting for the guaranteed clear skies, they rode three camels, led three spare camels and four pack animals carrying supplies on their backs, towards the Halmutu Basin in the west.

If you want to reach the grassland of the ancestors within a week, you must reduce your rest time and travel day and night, and you can't be delayed by other things on the way.

The scorched wood camp disappeared into the wind and sand, and the trail of footprints left by the caravan on the sand was quickly submerged in the dust.

At the same time, a train was driving on the Gobi Desert, hundreds of kilometers from the Jiaomu camp, and the steam produced by the depressurization formed white smoke and pulled a white cloud band above the train.

The sound of the whistle spread far and wide in the empty Gobi.

After the train passed a rocky hill, more than a dozen horses suddenly sprang out from the other side of the boulder. On horseback, sand thieves in robes rode their horses, and their wielded weapons made a "heas" sound, desperately urging the horses to accelerate.

The sand thieves on horseback lined up close to the railway, kept a constant speed parallel to the train, and then jumped nimbly on horseback.

As the sand pirates were about to jump on the train, the carriage door opened from the inside, and several men in Imperial spy costumes drew their knives and threw a few swords at the sand pirates.

Seeing the sand thieves with guards in the carriage, he immediately summoned the gravel to form a barrier in front of him, and all the swords that came over were all cut on the barrier.

Then a few more magicians flew out of the carriage in front of them using short flights, and rushed towards the sand thieves in pursuit, the powerful magic condensed on their magic wands.

Seeing this, the sand thieves knew that they had grabbed the wrong train, and immediately turned their horses and ran away from the train.

The magicians did not pursue, and quickly returned to the receiving carriage, and the train continued to run forward.

The sand pirates made a big circle and returned to the ambush site once again. No one is discouraged by a failed ambush, and even the best at hunting lions does not have prey for every attack.

This is the daily life along the Railroad in the Empire's West, and behind the highly profitable business opportunities is the risk of high mortality rates, and not every train can stop the attacks of the sand pirates.

"Your Highness the Eldest Princess, Lord Governor, we have just been attacked by another sand bandit, and the military guards have repelled them."

In a luxurious carriage near the locomotive, Luke and Agatha sat in leather seats listening to a report from an Imperial agent. Since entering the western realm, this is the fourth sand thief attack they have encountered, and they are all a little numb.

Agatha said, "I see. You go and check the guards in each carriage and cheer them up. This time we brought a lot of supplies, both supplies for the Western Legion and goods to the Halmutu Basin. ”

"Yes, Your Highness the Eldest Princess."

The agent left, and Agatha looked at Luke, who was sitting across from him, and found that he had been looking at the Gobi outside, so she said, "There is more and more grass, we should be almost to the Crescent Oasis." After a few days on the train, I felt like my body was about to fall apart.

Once in Crescent City, take a bath and rest for the day, then head to Harmutu. ”

Luke continued to look out the window, although he could see a little green, it was still extremely desolate, so he couldn't help but sigh: "It's a feat that the empire can build a railroad here. Otherwise, it would take nearly a month to walk just by relying on animal power, and most of the species carried would have to be consumed on the road. ”

Agatha couldn't help but say with deep feelings: "I heard that when my father succeeded to the throne, the whole court had the idea of giving up the Crescent Oasis, and it was too difficult to station an army in the Crescent Oasis that could control the western frontier.

It was my father who overrode public opinion and exhausted the treasury to build the railroad to Crescent City. At this point, although the empire could not control the entire western border, the western border could not be separated from the influence of the empire.

I still remember when I was a child, the Western tribes went to the imperial capital to pay tribute, and all the chieftains and nobles were shocked by the power of the empire, which was the first year of the opening of the Crescent Railway. ”

Luke could understand how the people of the Westlands would feel when they saw the continuous railroad and the trains running on it.

He then asked, "Since the Empire has already built the railroad to the Crescent Oasis, why don't you continue to build it into the Halmutu Basin?" ”

Agatha said helplessly: "The traditional forces in the western frontier in the Harmutu Basin are too strong, and they don't allow the railway to be built into it. They were afraid that if the power of the empire entered Harmutu, their power would be gone.

As I said, the aristocracy of the Westlands is very conservative and for them the interests of the family are above all else. ”

Luke nodded.

When the nobles of the West saw the power of the railroad, they knew that once the railroad extended into the hinterland of the West, they would be like fish on the chopping block against a powerful empire. Only by preventing the imperial powers from entering the western frontier can they retain their power and enjoy it.

As for poverty and backwardness, what does it have to do with them?

"I could have predicted that our trip to the West would be very difficult," Luke said. The nobles of the Westlands must know that once the Empire settles the Celtic dukes, they will be free to deal with them.

They don't have the power to stop the Empire's armies. ”

Agatha agrees with Luke's judgment of the situation in the West: "Therefore, we must let the nobles of the West know that the Empire will definitely defeat the Duke of Celts, so that they will consider negotiating with the Empire and save some of the family's interests in time while they still have bargaining chips."

But the minds of many old nobles are still stuck in the glory days of the Brotherhood of Blades, clinging to the honor and power given to them by their ancestors.

It's just that by now, I don't have much of a clue about how to deal with them. After the New Moon Oasis, there are not many means at the disposal of the Empire. ”

Luke withdrew his gaze from the view outside the window, looked at Agatha and said with a slight smile, "To break through a stubborn rock, the strength of your fist alone is not enough. But with the right tools, even the hardest stones can be chiseled. ”

Luke's words aroused Agatha's great interest, and looking at Luke's expression, Agatha asked tentatively in anticipation: "Since you use this analogy, does it mean that you already have a solution to the problem of the West?" ”

Luke picked up the teacup from the table, "I thought of a solution. ”

Agatha immediately asked, "What way?" ”

Luke took a sip of tea and said mysteriously: "It's not that I don't believe you, it's just that I always think that only whoever knows a thing can ensure that things go smoothly."

The people who carried out the mission, I have already sent out. I don't know what kind of effect it can achieve for the time being, so I can only wait patiently. ”

Not getting an answer made Agatha very itchy, but out of trust in the falling star, she couldn't help but let go of some of the burdens in her heart. Thinking about what Meteorite had done in Angry Waves City and Shenglun City, which time was it not when everyone was unaware that he was robbed of a fatal place?

On this mission to Halmutu, he must have found the weakness of those stubborn nobles.

"I'm already expecting something from you to surprise me." At this moment, a large meadow appeared outside the train, and at the same time, a flock of sheep flashed through the window. The sudden green and vitality made Agatha's mood better, and she asked Luke, "We have arrived at the New Moon Oasis." What do you want to do, how do you need me to cooperate? ”

"Relax and enjoy the journey from now on. Forget the duties of the eldest princess and imagine how Princess Dale would have traveled if she had been in this foreign land.

Let all who are staring at us see that our visit to the Westlands is only a formality, and the attitude does not make them feel that they are big people who can influence the Empire.

Maybe while playing, they want to open it themselves. ”

Hearing the advice given to him by the falling star, Agatha couldn't help laughing: "It is definitely a wise decision for my father to ask you to accompany me on my mission to the Western Realm. The nobles of the Western Realms knew about the visit of the eldest princess of the empire, and they must have thought that they were big people who could influence the future of the empire. If I give them too much courtesy, it will only make them pay for themselves; And if I ignore them, I give them a huge psychological gap.

It should make things go more smoothly for you! ”

Luke smiled and said, "Yes, just like in the city of angry waves and the imperial capital. You let those people think cranky in the open, and I did everything in the dark to wait for them to reflect...... It's all late. ”

Agatha, who was in a good mood, picked up the teacup: "Let's make this combination another storm in the West." ”

Luke clinks glasses with Agatha: "It's supposed to be a sandstorm." ”

"Hahaha, yes...... It's a sandstorm. ”

After another hour or so, the Imperial Mission train stopped at Crescent City Railway Station. The mayor of Crescent City, officials of the city government department, and generals of the Imperial military came to greet him, and then the mission drove to the headquarters of the Imperial Western Legion to meet the second prince, Alec.

After meeting with the members of the mission, the second prince, Alec, took Agatha and Luke to the well-fortified Western Situation Strategic Command Room.

On the wall of the command room hangs a large map of the terrain and forces of the Western Territory, which is densely marked, which is the information that the Empire has about the Western Territory.

The door closed, and the three of them sat down, and Alec didn't talk about the current situation in the West, but first asked what had changed in the court.

"I've heard that my father no longer attends the Imperial Cabinet after the coming-of-age celebrations. Many important matters were left to the cabinet itself, and only issues that had to be approved by him were sent to his study, and the Empress began to participate in the affairs of the Empire! ”

After Dale's coming-of-age ceremony, the changes in the imperial court were indeed unexpected by everyone.

The Imperial Cabinet meeting was abolished, and the power of the Cabinet was increased.

The Empress assists the Emperor in directing government affairs, representing the Empress in gradually influencing the Empire's decision-making.

Those who are familiar with Augustus the Great cannot figure out how he could possibly divide the power in his hands.

But what is certain is that Princess Del was not enough to make such a major change of governance for Emperor Augustine, who had secretly seen the meteorite before making these decisions.

And then there's the big reward.

If you want to know the answer, you can probably only know it from the mouth of the meteorite.

Agatha didn't know the answer from Luke's mouth, so naturally there was no way to know her father's intentions. She said to Alec: "It is probably because my father feels that his energy is no longer able to handle all the affairs of the government, so he delegates some affairs to the cabinet.

As for the queen...... As far as I know, she is only responsible for reading documents for her father, and does not make suggestions. ”

Agatha's answer did not satisfy Alec, saying, "I know our father, and there must be a more important reason why he did it."

Can the Governor of Meteor give me an answer? Your Majesty will make this important decision after you have dinner. ”

Luke sat a little further away so that he could see the map of the Westlands in its entirety. Hearing Alec ask himself, he replied, "Your Majesty and I have only talked about the economic drive plan for the eastern coast of the empire, which has already been implemented by the city of Fury and the cabinet.

As for why His Majesty made those adjustments?

You don't know, how would I know?

But it is better for His Majesty to let the queen go into the study to read the documents than to let the eldest prince Fania go into the study to read the documents. Your Majesty will give you another chance, perhaps in his mind...... I like you even more, the second prince. ”

Alec didn't get an answer from Luke, but the last sentence made him happy.

In fact, after coming to the West, jumping out of the court circle has broadened his horizons a lot, and he also knows how wise it is for him to follow Agatha's advice to come to the West.

Lai himself can't fight the Great Prince in the Imperial Capital, and after annihilating the Abyss Mage lurking in the Imperial Capital, the entire court has a tendency to fall to the Great Prince.

Now that he has come to the West to receive the army so smoothly, he can feel that his father let him go to the West to perform.

This time, the father made a major decision, and gave so much power to the cabinet, but he would rather let the queen, who doesn't know anything, assist the government, than give the eldest prince the opportunity to increase his power.

This is not the partiality of the father, what is it?

Alec's mood immediately improved, and he left the imperial capital, and the eldest prince was the prince who was an eyesore.

If there is a great change in the court in a short period of time, Fania can naturally sit on the throne with his own advantages. But if it takes a long time, the competitiveness between himself and Fania will be flipped in this state of eliminating the other's strengths.

As long as he makes achievements in the western border, he may be officially canonized as the crown prince, at that time...... The Northern Army is trapped in the battlefield on the southern front, what can a fourth division of the Saint-Lun City Garrison Army do?

At this time, Agatha and Meteor were sent to the West, wasn't it the Emperor's help to build an immortal world?

Originally...... I'm my father's favorite son!

Anyway, it doesn't matter why my father made such a major decision, what matters is how to cooperate with this envoy and make a big deal in the western border!

Alec said in high spirits: "My father has always been far-sighted, so we will not speculate on his intentions.

I have long been informed that you are going to the West, and the entire Imperial Western Legion has entered a state of combat readiness. The troops who are protecting the mission are ready to go, and all the necessary consumables and civilians are in place.

The entire escort and support team totaled 5,000 people.

At the same time, I will order all units of the Western Legion to send elite cavalry out to deter all parties in the West. Whoever dares to disadvantage the Mission, I will let him taste the iron hooves of the Empire! ”

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